The safety and therapeutic effectiveness of human red cells stored at — 80°C for as long as 21 years

Abstract

Human red cells frozen by various methods have been stored in the frozen state at -80.degree.C for as long as 21 years. This report discusses: red cells frozen with 42 percent weight per volume (wt/vol) glycerol in an ionic medium in a polyvinylchloride (PVC) plastic bag using the Cohn method; red cells frozen with 45 percent wt/vol glycerol in a low ionic medium in a PVC plastic bag using the Huggins method; red cells frozen with 40 percent wt/vol glycerol in an ionic medium in a polyolefin plastic bag using the Meryman-Hornblower method; and red cells frozen with 40 percent wt/vol glycerol in an ionic medium in a standard 600-ml or an elongated 800-ml PVC plastic primary collection bag with an adapter port using the Naval Blood Research Laboratory (NBRL) method. After frozen storage for as long as 21 years by the four methods described above, the thawed red cells were deglycerolized with 50 to 150 ml of 12 percent sodium chloride and 1.5 to 2.0 l of sodium chloride-glucose or sodium chloride-glucose-phosphate solution. After washing and storage at 4.degree.C for 24 hours, the red cells had a mean freeze-thaw-wash recovery value of 90 percent, a mean 24-hour posttransfusion survival value of 85 percent, a mean index of therapeutic effectiveness of 75 percent, normal or slightly impaired oxygen transport function, and minimal hemolysis. When red cells frozen by the NBRL method in the standard 600-ml or the elongated 800-ml primary collection bag for as long as 5.7 years were stored after washing at 4.degree.C for up to 3 days, these units had a mean freeze-thaw-wash recovery value of 90 percent, a mean 24-hour posttransfusion survival value of 85 percent, a mean index of therapeutic effectiveness of 75 percent, normal or slightly impaired oxygen transport function, and minimal hemolysis. Cultures done after storage at 4.degree.C for 1 week showed that the red cells remained sterile. The incidence of container breakage for red cells frozen in the standard 600-ml or elongated 800-ml primary collection bag was about 3 percent for units subjected to shipment and less than 1 percent for units that were not transported.